1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to portable electronic devices and more specifically to a device and method for coupling power to a portable electronic device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Consumer demands have fueled technological advances in the area of portable electronics. Through aggressive development and manufacturing, the industry has accomplished increased miniaturization of electronic components resulting in the advent of extremely lightweight and dimensionally constrained portable electronic devices, such as laptop computers and cellular radiotelephones. The current market has become inundated with a variety of the portable electronic devices from which the consumer can choose to purchase. Oftentimes the main selling points of the portable electronic device include operational features and cosmetic appearance.
One such operational feature of the portable electronic device is its duration of continuous operation, i.e., its amount of "talk" time and "standby" time. Portable electronic devices are typically powered by a rechargeable battery pack--multiple rechargeable electrochemical cells disposed within a housing--that is manufactured to attach to the portable electronic device. Because of the relatively large weight and size of rechargeable battery packs, current portable electronic devices typically only provide for attachment of a single, main rechargeable battery pack. Therefore, such portable electronic devices are limited to continuous operation only during the period between recharges of the main rechargeable battery pack. Such limitations are undesirable to a user that requires a longer duration of continuous operation and does not wish to sacrifice portability by having to carry additional rechargeable battery packs. Therefore, it would be beneficial to have a portable electronic device with increased of continuous operation without hampering its portability.
To increase the duration of continuous operation, it is known to attach an auxiliary rechargeable battery pack to the portable electronic device to supplement the main rechargeable battery pack in powering the portable electronic device. Current latching mechanisms for attaching rechargeable battery packs include parallel channels formed in the rechargeable battery pack that interlock with corresponding parallel rails disposed on the portable electronic device; and protruding members extending from the rechargeable battery pack that mate with indentations disposed about a cavity formed in the housing of the portable electronic device when the rechargeable battery pack is inserted into the cavity. However, because the auxiliary rechargeable battery pack is optional and need not always be attached to the portable electronic device for the portable electronic device to operate, current latching mechanisms are unacceptable for attaching an auxiliary rechargeable battery pack due to their adverse cosmetic impact. Without attachment of the auxiliary battery pack, for example, both the parallel rails on the portable electronic device and the housing cavity on the portable electronic device would remain unoccupied and exposed.
Therefore, what is needed is an effective latching mechanism for attaching an optional accessory, such as a rechargeable battery pack, to a portable electronic device, such that the appearance of the portable electronic device is minimally affected when the optional accessory is not attached.